Education On The Line

Enrollment is falling in many schools across the nation, and the ripple effects are showing up everywhere: budget deficits, program cuts, labor tension, and the gut-wrenching necessity in many districts to close schools. We look at the reality many leaders face right now: what do you do when the problem is not temporary and the student population may not stabilize for decades?We’re joined by Julien LaFortune of the Public Policy Institute of California, who breaks down the data behind declining enrollment, from lower birth rates to shifting migration and immigration patterns.  Funding follows students, so districts often have to shrink their systems even when students needs more support, not less. Then we turn to the lived work of leading through decline with two veteran superintendents: Kyla Johnson-Trammell, former Oakland Unified superintendent, and Roxanne Fuentes, of the Beryessa Union School District in San Jose.  They share what school consolidations and closures really require: transparency, long timelines, empathy for community grief, and realistic plans for improving student experience in their new school settings. We dig into offensive strategies too, like creating specialized programs that will attract families, meeting their after-school needs, and stronger communication with families. If you care about the future of public education, school finance, and what happens to communities when enrollment drops, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review so more people can find Education on the Line.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Here’s a question that Democratic governors across the country will have to wrestle with in the months ahead: should they opt into President Trump’s upcoming federal tax credit scholarship program, or hold the line against what will be the first federally funded private school voucher scheme?Because of the sweeping nature of the plan, this is a follow up to an earlier episode of Education on the Line examining on the issue.  The program, approved by Congress as part of the  One Big Beautiful Bill, allows every taxpayer to "donate" up to $1,700 to scholarship-granting organizations -- and then get the entire amount refunded to them in the form of a tax credit on their federal income taxes.  The scholarship organizations then dole out the money to parents with children enrolled in private and religious schools to cover tuition and other educational costs. Some funds could be used to cover some expenses like computers and extra tutoring not currently covered by taxpayers..  Most Republican governors already have already "opted in."  In our latest episode, we go inside the debate as it’s playing out in Illinois, where two prominent Democrats are publicly at odds. State Comptroller Susana Mendoza says it’s a no-brainer: Illinois taxpayers fund the program either way, and opting out just means that money flows to children in other states. Meanwhile, Gov. Jay Pritzker seems inclined to reject it. In April, The Chicago public school board voted unanimously to oppose it.  Louis Freedberg interviews Comptroller Mendoza and Cassie Creswell of Illinois Families for Public Schools, who see the issue differently, as do dozens of other advocacy organizations. Cresswell says participating in the program would further expand a private school ecosystem the state can’t control, at exactly the moment public schools are already under severe financial and other pressures.We talk with both Mendoza and Cresswell to understand the issues for and against. Their debate offers insights into how the issue could play out in other states. Subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

School districts across California and the nation are caught in a financial vise.  Enrollments are falling, federal COVID relief funds have been depleted, and costs keep rising. Meanwhile, growing numbers of teacher's can't even  afford to live in the districts  where they work. That’s especially the case in high cost states like California where teachers and other staff are walking off the job in record numbers  So how do you give teachers the raises that almost everyone agrees they need without triggering deep cuts or even risking   insolvency? And is it even possible?In this episode, we explore that question with three guests who are grappling with it from very different vantage points. Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, breaks down the structural forces squeezing district budgets and makes the case that many districts have staffing levels out of alignment with their shrinking enrollments — a reckoning that's now unavoidable. Darin Brawley, superintendent of Compton Unified, has managed a district with five labor unions over 14 years without a strike, and explains how radical transparency about the budget has helped kept his district out of crisis. And Carrie Hahnel a board member at Alameda Unified and a senior associate partner at Bellwether, describes how her district recently navigated a threatened strike and reached a three-year contract — and what trade-offs came with it.The conversation is honest about how hard these choices are.  The challenge is whether districts and unions can make these trade-offs —together. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

The Supreme Court's landmark 1982 Plyler v. Doe decision established that every child in America has the right to a public education, regardless of immigration status. For 43 years, that ruling has kept schoolhouse doors open to undocumented children. Now it's under serious attack.   In this episode of Education on the Line, Louis Freedberg talks with two guests on the front lines of protecting Plyler at a national and state level. Tom Saenz is president and general counsel of MALDEF, which argued the original Plyler case before the Supreme Court. Lisa Sherman Luna is executive director TIRRC Votes, the political arm of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.  The Tennessee General Assembly, controlled by a Republican supermajority, is attempting to pass legislation designed to keep documented children out of school. It is one of a half dozen states trying to do the same thing. The Heritage Foundation, author of the controversial Project 2025, recently launched a campaign to encourage states to challenge Plyler. Saenz believes that despite these efforts, the Plyler decision is secure. Sherman Luna says that organizing along the lines of the so-far successful Education for All Tennessee campaign will be needed. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

The sweeping federal tax credit scholarship program which President Trump was able to shoehorn into his so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill" will go into effect in less than a year. It has the potential to divert billions of federal tax dollars to private and religious school tuition, with negligible oversight and accountability.  Right now the Trump Administration is drawing up a blueprint for implementing this hugely ambitious "school choice" program which an estimated 90 percent of families in the United States will qualify for.  When the proposed regulations are issued in in advance of the Jan. 1 implementation date, education leaders and advocates must be prepared to respond them.   One big question is whether Democratically controlled  states should participate in the tax credit program - at the moment it appears that almost all won't -- or whether they  can figure out ways public schools could benefit from it in a meaningful way.  To shed light on key unresolved issues like these, host Louis Freedberg talks with Jon Valant, director of the Brookings Brown Center on Education Policy, and Jessica Levin, litigation director of the Education Law Center.  Both are leading experts on what's at stake.  Anyone who cares about the future of public education will learn from their insights and observations. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

What happens when frenetic policymaking by the Trump Administration collides with the guardrails of courts, campuses, and public opinion? We sit down with leading conservative commentator Frederick Hess, director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute, and long-time higher education expert Stephen Brint, professor of sociology and public policy at the University of California at Riverside, to unpack a year that in which the federal government asserted unprecedented power over both private and public education institutions at all levels.  From executive orders and DOJ referrals to high-stakes investigations, we discuss what changed, what stalled, and, most importantly, what to expect in 2026.  Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

During the first year of President Trump's latest term in the White House, much of his admiinistration's focus been national in scope, especially on its  push to dismantle or eradicate entirely the U.S. Dept. of Education. What, however, is happening at the local level?  In this episode, we look at the extent to which political pressures on local school districts have continued, and, more importantly, how school leaders can successfully traverse them.  This will be especially important during this election year when school board election battles will take center stage at a local level.  Host Louis Freedberg interviews two prominent education leaders who offer their guidance based on years of experience in the education trenches.  Carl Cohn is  the esteemed former superintendent of the Long Beach and San Diego Unified School Districts, and co-chair of the Collaborative for Political Leadership in the Superintendency.   Wesley Smith is superintendent of the Newport-Mesa School District in California's Orange County, and former head of the Association of California School Administrators. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Cut staff at the U.S. Education Dept. in half, and send programs they were overseeing to multiple other departments -- what could that  possibly go wrong for students and schools?  To examine what is at stake, veteran education journalist Louis Freedberg sits down with Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, both of whom are at the forefront of efforts to save the Dept. of Education from extinction by the Trump administration.  Democracy Forward is now in court on behalf of the AFT and numerous other labor organizations and school districts.  Both Perryman and Weingarten argue that, far from being ineffective, lawsuits against the Trump Administration, especially when it comes to education, have been far more effective than is generally believed. But, they say, it will also take a multi-pronged effort around the nation to put pressure on elected representatives to save programs and funding that they say disproportionately benefit children and schools in "red" states. If you care about federal funding for schools, the fate of special education, and having a federal government that supports schools instead of attacking them, you’ll find a clear roadmap of what’s happening, why it matters, and what can be done.  Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Educators are barraged with a range of test scores from K-12 schools that are often confusing and seem to conflict with each other.   Some show students improving. Others show the opposite.  Listen to Linda Darling-Hammond and Pedro Noguera, two of the nation's premier education scholars and advocates, make the case for why we need tests --- not as weapons to label and stigmatize students and schools, but as tools to improve learning.   Darling-Hammond, founder and Chief Knowledge Officer of the Learning Policy Institute, and chair of the California State Board of Education, points to latest test results showing improvements in California, as well as in districts who are beating the odds like Los Angeles and Compton Unified. An overemphasis on tests, she says, has meant less emphasis on higher-level thinking in our schools.  Noguera, Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, argues that we should pay more attention to learning itself and how to get kids engaged and motivated. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

In the episode of Education on the Line, we examine how the Trump administration has used the shutdown to try to eviscerate key agencies in the U.S. Dept of Education that oversee enforcement and the integrity of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.  IDEA Is the landmark civil rights legislation that grants nearly 8 million children and young adults with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate education.  In conversation with veteran education journalist Louis Freedberg, Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, and Kristin Wright, former director of special education  in California, describe what is at stake.  Both are parents of disabled children. They emphasize that despite the threats to federal support and oversight, the focus must remain on what is happening at a school district and state level, which is where primary responsibility lies for ensuring that children in special education are adequately served. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

The Trump administration is so far using TItle IX as the principal weapon to attack public schools:  principally against school districts with gender-neutral bathrooms.  But  its use of civil rights laws could soon expand to using Title VI laws and regulations to go after schools on race-related matters. That's the view of education and civil rights expert R. Shep Melnick, professor of American Politics at Boston College and co-chair of the Harvard Program on Constitutional Government. In conversation with Louis Freedberg. Melnick provides a primer on what Title IX and Title VI actually say  -- and how the Trump administration is building on their expansive interpretations by the Obama and Biden administrations.  What sets the Trump administration apart from previous administrations is that itseems intent on cutting off funds to school districts that don't comply with often impossible demands --without any serious effort to negotiate settlements with them. That has not happened to any significant extent since the 1960s when school districts refused to integrate after Brown V. Board of Education.  In this lively discussion, we look at strategies for school leaders for handling threats to school funding that are likely to increase in intensity in the coming months and years.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Bathrooms have emerged as the principal battleground in efforts by the Trump administration to cut federal support of public schools. based on its attacks on "gender ideology."  The Denver Public Schools , for example, face a potential $100 million or more funding cut over its gender-neutral bathroom policies. Five Virginia school districts face similar threats.In conversation with veteran education journalist Louis Freedberg, Superintendent Alex Marrero joins us to reveal how his district jashas become a center of a national controversy that began with a conversion of a girls bathroom to a gender neutrol one at a single high school. After addressing initial complaints about facility parity, Denver now faces shifting federal allegations of creating a "hostile environment" – despite the U.S. Department of Education conducting no on-site reviews, witness interviews, or substantive conversations with district officials throughout their investigation.What's particularly striking is Superintendent Marrero's unwavering commitment to his district's values despite these financial threats. "Would it be easier to cave? Of course," he acknowledges. "But it would be incredibly inequitable... It doesn't matter if it was just one scholar."The Denver case highlights a jarring contradiction in federal education policy. While the Trump administration advocates abolishing the Department of Education to return control to states, it simultaneously threatens funding penalties against districts following state laws in places like Colorado and California, where protections for LGBTQ+ students are explicitly codified.For school leaders watching this unfold, Marrero offers clear guidance: prioritize the communities you serve, consult legal counsel, and prepare for potential backlash. His message to fellow superintendents is powerful: "Do not neglect the community that you're serving and speak out for them," he told us.  "We have a duty to protect ours."How is your school district navigating the conflicting demands between local policies, state laws, and federal pressures? Share your experiences and subscribe to Education on the Line wherever you get your podcasts to stay informed on these critical issues facing public education.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

The battle over diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education has reached a critical tipping point. What began as targeted attacks on elite institutions has evolved into an existential threat affecting colleges and universities of every type across America.When University of Virginia President James Ryan was forced to resign at the end of June in the face of pressure from the Trump administration for allegedly failing to dismantle DEI programs aggressively enough, it signaled a dramatic escalation in federal intrusion into academic governance. This unprecedented move follows executive orders requiring institutions to eliminate "race-based" or "identity-based" programs—without clearly defining what those terms mean. In this important discussion hosted by Lande Ajose, Sarah Brown from the Chronicle of Higher Education and Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association of College Admission Counseling, explore what's at stake when higher education becomes a political battleground, and how institutions are fighting to preserve their core mission amid unprecedented challenges.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Educational leaders across the country are navigating a storm of uncertainty as the Trump administration unleashes a barrage of executive orders targeting public schools. What began with a minimal education focus during the Presidential campaign has morphed into a centerpiece of the Trump administration's agenda. In this conversation with noted education scholar and advocate Pedro Noguera, we explore how school leaders are responding to this treacherous landscape while continuing to serve students who show up at their doors every day.  We highlight the contrast between educators committed to serving all children and an administration seemingly focused on waging culture wars rather than offering solutions to improving students' educational outcomes.  "What you don't hear from the administration is the emergence of a coherent policy aimed at making education in this country better," notes Noguera, pointing out that previous administrations from both parties at least attempted to address challenges students face in the classroom. As K-12 and higher education institutions respond to federal intrusion into local control, using ending federal financial support as a weapon, a key question emerges: How can educational leaders maintain their focus on serving students while navigating this politically charged environment? The podcast offers insights for those on the front lines who believe public education serves as an essential cornerstone of democracy. regardless of partisan politics.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

School districts around the nation are struggling to fend off threats from the Trump administration on multiple fronts.  In addition to trying to protect students whose families may face a threat of deportation, they also face a looming April 24 deadline to certify that they have eliminated all so-called diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and numerous other programs Trump says violate a 2023 Supreme Court ruling banning affirmative action in college admissions. Los Angeles Unified and the Denver Public Schools are two districts that have already come under extraordinary pressures on these fronts. Listen to this powerful interview led by USC Rossier School of Education Dean Pedro Noguera with Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who himself came to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant, and Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero.   They warn that should the Trump administration cut federal funds to their districts, it would have a devastating impact on their neediest and most at-risk students.  Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Higher education in America stands at a critical juncture as unprecedented political attacks threaten to erode academic freedom, and upend longstanding relationships between the federal government and both private and public colleges and universities. In this urgent and timely conversation, hosted by Lande Ajose, former Skidmore College President Jamie Studley brings her perspective as a college administrator, Obama-era deputy undersecretary of education, and head of a major accreditation commission, to analyze what's happening behind  the headlines.Studley makes a compelling case that America needs a range of educational pathways - not an either/or approach that pits vocational training against traditional degrees. The true measure of an equitable system, she argues, is whether all pathways remain accessible regardless of a student's background.Perhaps most alarming are the encroachments on institutional autonomy, such as dictating to Columbia University how it should run one of its academic departments. Studley also offers measured hope. This crisis might accelerate innovations in educational delivery, transfer pathways between institutions, and help colleges better articulate their value. For higher education leaders seeking guidance in navigating this treacherous landscape, this conversation provides critical context and strategic considerations from one of the field's most experienced voices.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

What could be the impact of a torrent of Trump Administration initiatives targeting higher education, and how should education leaders and students respond?  In this episode, we focus on the potential  fallout of dismantling the the U.S. Department of Education, the far-reaching efforts to banish diversity, equity and inclusion programs in both K-12 and higher education, and what might we expect when it comes to college affordability and student loan debt in the coming years.  In this episode, host Lande Ajose talks with James Kvaal, Underrsecretary of Education in the Biden Administration, and Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, higher education reporter for the Washington Post covering college affordability and student financial aid.  This episode was recorded just before the Trump Administration cut off $400 million in federal aid to Columbia University. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Even as public schools enter a period of extreme uncertainty, there are exciting developments underway to rethink the school day and to develop new ways to measure what students are learning.Listening to a stimulating conversation about new directions in education  with Timothy Knowles, president of the Carnege Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and Laura Slover, managing director of Skills for the Future, a joint initiative of ETS and the Carnegie Foundation.  The foundation is now at the forefront of trying to nudge schools to move away from measuring learning based on how much time students  spend in the classroom, and to a more "competency-based" system, which takes into account skills they may have acquired through  interdisciplinary projects, internships, work experience and so on.  Also important are what educators call "durable skills" that studies show can make a huge difference in students' future success, such as communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and leadership. Hosted by Pedro Noguera, dean of the USC Rossier School of Education and Louis Freedberg, director of the Advancing Education Success Initiative. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Listen to this important discussion on rethinking the basic structure of the school day to enhance learning and make schools more rewarding for  students whose learning styles don't necessarily match the century-old division of learning into hourly periods, multiple times a day, five days a week.  Working with school districts and charter schools, Big Picture Learning is implementing  an exciting approach which includes students spending  time during the school day in internships.  In this episode, co-host Pedro Noguera interviews Big Picture co-executive director Carlos Moreno,  and Louis Freedberg visits MetWest High, a Big Picture school in Oakland, California. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

In this episode of Sparking Equity, host Lande Ajose explores the critical role higher education can play in addressing the climate crisis while advancing equity. Joined by Eloy Ortiz Oakley, President and CEO of the College Futures Foundation, and Jamie Marisotis, President and CEO of the Lumina Foundation, this thought-provoking discussion delves into actionable strategies for colleges and universities to empower underserved communities, foster climate literacy, and turn knowledge into meaningful action.  The episode highlights the intersection of climate change, equity, and education—and what leaders, students, and communities can do to shape a sustainable future.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

The November 5th elections are expected to have an impact on almost every aspect of government and public policy, including education. In this episode, hosts Pedro Noguera and Louis Freedberg take a deeper dive into what promises  President-elect Trump and the GOP have made regarding both pre K through 12 education and post secondary education.  Our guests are conservative scholar and analyst Frederick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, and co-author with Noguera of  “A Search for Common Ground:  Conversations about the Toughest Questions in K-12 Education.” and higher education expert Steven Brint, Professor of Sociology and Public Policy at the University of California at Riverside, author of “Trump and His Allies Are Preparing to Overhaul Higher Education.”  Our guests suggest that the federal impact on education is likely to be far more significant than many have anticipated.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

The youngest voters in the U.S. have historically turned out in lower numbers than any other age group.   And unfortunately analyses of the Nov. 5 elections suggest  that they  turned out in lower numbers than in the 2020 elections. One reason that many educators point to i that traditional civics and American government classes typically fail to engage young people in the democratic process.  That is especially the case for students of color and low-income students. However, exciting new approaches to civics education are emerging. One of them is "action civics," where students take the lead in organizing and implementing projects in their own communities as part of a civics curriculum. In this episode our host Pedro Noguera, Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, with  Louis Freedberg, Interim CEO of EdSource, interview Rob Filback and Jen Crawford, founders of USC's Democracy Project about these and other promising approaches.  Also on the podcast is Robert Medrano, a project director at  Teach Democracy who has taught social studies for years.  Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

One of the most formidable challenges in education is how to reverse the disproportionately low representation of Black and Latino students in STEM courses and careers. Remarkably, Compton Unified in Los Angeles County, a district that two decades ago was  under state control, is showing how that can be done.In this podcast, the second in a two-part series, our host, renowned educator and scholar Pedro Noguera, Dean of the Rossier USC School of Education, and veteran journalist Louis Freedberg look at how over the past decade the proportion of  Compton students planning on STEM careers has leaped from one in four to just over half. We take you inside two schools to give you an inside look at what Compton is doing.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Ben Herald, a former reporter at Education Week, set out across America to document what is happening in school districts located in once largely white suburban communities. His book Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America's Suburbs documents his disturbing findings.When he got to Compton, he found a rare example of a school district in a formerly all white suburb that is offering hope to students of color and their families. Under the leadership of Superintendent Darin Brawley, the district is closing achievement gaps, and boosting graduation rates.In this podcast, noted author and scholar Pedro Noguera and  veteran journalist Louis  Freedberg interview  Supt. Brawley and author Herald about what sets Compton apart from other similar communities -- and how it is achieving uncommon success with its diverse, low-income student body.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

In many school districts around the country, just the term "equity" can arouse passion and conflict.  Too often there is a mistaken belief is that achieving equity for all kids means some kids have to give up something so that others can benefit.  That's not the case in the Hacienda La Puente School District, where the district under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jimenez has implemented a comprehensive equity strategy -- and is getting results, and without any conflict to boot.   Four district's schools have been named  National Blue Ribbon Schools.  In a follow up to our last episode, titled "What is Equity?" host Pedro Noguera, dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, and reporter Louis Freedberg focus on what the district, situated a half hour from downtown Los Angeles in the City of Industry, is  doing right.  In particular, Freedberg profiles the Glen A. Wilson High School, one of the district's Blue Ribbon Schools, led by award-winning principal Dr.  Danielle Kenfield, and shows what a successful equity strategy looks like in practice.  Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

What is Education Equity?   In this episode of "Sparking Equity,"  host Pedro Noguera talks with his son Joaquín Noguera to demystify a term that has  become hugely, and unnecessarily, controversial in numerous school districts throughout the nation.  In some school districts, superintendents have become fearful for even using the term for fear of inviting  blowback or fierce criticismPedro Noguera is dean of the USC Rossier School of Education in Los Angeles while Joaquín is a professor of education at nearby Loyola Marymount University.    This is the first of a two part series on equity.  Watch for our next episode in which we will profile the Hacienda-La Puente School District in Los Angeles which has made equity a central focus of its work --  which is paying off in the remarkable success of its diverse, largely low-income student body.  Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

One positive development that emerged from the pandemic is that it focused attention on the mental health challenges many students face -- and how these are a major determinant of college success.There is also greater awareness that low-income students and students of color have greater unmet mental health needs compared with many of their peers. Too often they attend campuses that are least equipped to offer them the support and services they need.In this episode, host Lande Ajose talks with students who openly discuss their mental health challenges -- and how they became leaders in prodding their campuses to create a supportive  environment in which they are most likely to succeed.  Louis Freedberg visits one of those colleges -- Palomar College, a public community college in Southern California, for a closer look at how it is responding to the mental health challenges their students face. Looking  at Black students in particular, Lande talks with Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, a psychiatrist and associate director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and Dr. Tony Walker, Senior Vice President of the Jed Foundation (JED), a leading organization helping colleges meet students' mental health needs.Also weighing in are psychotherapists Dr. Hideko Sera, Director of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Morehouse College, a historically Black university in Atlanta, and Dr. Michael Gerard Mason, Associate Dean of African American Affairs at the University of Virginia.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

In this episode of "Sparking Equity, " host Pedro Noguera, dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, focuses on attacks on schools around issues such as mask mandates and critical race theory -- and how parents and caregivers can be involved in schools in positive ways that contribute to their children's success. Pedro talks with Carl Cohn, esteemed educator and former member of the California State Board of Education and Joann Mickens, executive director of Parents for Public Schools, a national advocacy organization in Jackson, Mississippi.   He also interviewed Tina Certain, at the time board chair of the Alachua County Public Schools in Gainesville Florida, who was able to beat back efforts by  Gov.  Ron DeSantis and allies to unseat her and the board majority.What can schools do?  Executive producer Louis Freedberg reports from Magnolia High School in the Anaheim Union High School District.   It has made it a top priority to create a welcoming environment for parents which district leaders believe has helped it avoid conflicts roiling adjoining districts in Orange County and around the nation.Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to the hopes of tens of millions of students and former students hoping to have their college loans cancelled or reduced when the court rejected President Biden’s debt relief program. In this episode of Sparking Equity, Lande Ajose, managing director of the Waverley Street Foundation and a champion of college access for all, talks with students about how college debt can have an impact on major life decisions. But all is not lost. President Biden has finalized his new SAVE program that will provide ongoing relief to students who take out loans linked to how much money they earn after college. And in a series of little noticed initiatives, his administration has already cancelled the loans of 3.6 million students totaling $127 billion.  The key, however, is to limit the loans students take out in the first place.   To that end, we talk with Dr.  Jhenai Chandler of The Institute for College Access and Success and Aneesh Sohoni of One Million Degrees in Chicago, about an exciting approach called “comprehensive approaches to student success,” or CASS.  Implemented in a growing number of places, it provides comprehensive support to students to help them reach their academic goals more effectively and thus limit the debt they take on. Finally, Cody Hounanian of the Student Debt Crisis Center encourages students to make their voices heard in the federal rule making process initiated by Pres. Biden to put in place a new debt relief plan, this time under a different law from the one the Supreme Court objected to.  Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States. 

Over many decades, the school curriculum has been whittled down to focus on core academic subjects, often at the expense of arts and music education.  The shift has been most pronounced in schools serving low-income students and students of color. In this pilot episode, education leader Pedro Noguera, Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, makes the case for a robust arts and music curriculum. He talks to renowned actor John Lithgow and "Hamilton" star Daveed Diggs  about the impact arts education had on them. And he discusses California's Proposition 28 with former Los Angeles Unified  Superintendent Austin Beutner, the driving force behind it.  Veteran journalist and former EdSource Executive Director  Louis Freedberg profiles ArtistYear, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit which places artists in schools for a year through the AmeriCorps program. Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States.